Astonishing Iceman #3 Review

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Vincenzo Carratù
Colors by: Java Tartaglia
Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover art by: Jesus Saiz
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: October 18, 2023

Astonishing Iceman #3 pits the Bobby Drake construct against Orchis mercenary Mr. Clean with the lives of Aaron Fischer and the Y-Men in the balance.

Is Astonishing Iceman #3 Good?

Albert Einstein is often credited with the famous quote, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.” Astonishing Iceman #3 is dangerously close to proving that statement correct because this weirdly established mini-series (Yes, solicits show this series ends at #5) appears to be doing the same thing over and over in each successive issue without achieving a different result.

When last we left Iceman, he followed an emotional spike, courtesy of Romeo’s emotional warning system, back to his hometown to stop Orchis’s hired goons from making a mess while attacking the Drake family. Bobby saved the day and returned in the nick of time to reaffirm his love for Romeo.

Now, Iceman responds to an emotional spike, courtesy of Romeo’s emotional warning system, in Los Angeles to stop Orchis’s hired goon, Mr. Clean, from making a mess while attacking Aaron Fischer and the Y-Men. Bobby saved the day and returned in the nick of time to reaffirm his love for Romeo.

Yes. If you’re reading closely, the previous two paragraphs describing two separate issues are copies with specific nouns changed to reflect the plot particulars. Sure, Orchis’s efforts may bring each step closer to finding Iceman’s fortress of solitude, but the main plot is effectively identical. Is Orlando being efficient or something else? Who knows.

What’s great about Astonishing Iceman #3? Bobby is largely constrained to his ice form, so he’s doing cool ice things all the time. If you like Iceman doing cool ice-power things, this is a solid read.

What’s not so great about Astonishing Iceman #3? The repetitive plot is a downer that feels like Orlando is killing time to fill out the remaining two issues where Orchis will probably converge on the Fortress of Solitude. That’s an educated guess, but if it holds true, this mini-series could have been told in an oversized one-shot without losing the heart of the story.

How’s the art? Carratù’s art is great. The action packs a punch (pun intended), the figure work is excellent, and the coloring pops. The art is top-notch for a bizarrely repetitive title.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

Astonishing Iceman #3 bizarrely recycles the identical plot from the first two issues to pit Iceman against an Orchis thug in a bid to find Iceman’s hiding place. The art is great, and the Iceman construct is likable enough (Is he really alive?), but the plot is egregiously stuck on rinse & repeat.